During this weekend’s conference, Mark and Joyce Markowski from St. Gerard Majella Parish in Kirkwood, MO are serving as what they affectionately call “Priest Ubers,” though their official title is “Priest Hospitality.” This is the 4th year that they have been helping in this way, though it is the 5th year attending Steubenville for each of them. Joyce has also attended previously an usher, and Mark as a chaperone. They have been married for 30 years.
Joyce is a financial manager at Washington University, and she loves doing service projects at her parish (which she always manages to have Mark help out with!) She also just finished serving on a mission Team for an ACTS retreat, and enjoys gardening and taking walks.
Mark is a contractor with his own business. In addition to currently studying to become a permanent deacon, he can build anything, including (but certainly not limited to) an an 8-foot lifeguard chair for a Luke 18 retreat, the Adoration altar at St. Gerard Majella, missal stands for several priests, and a herd of 6-foot tall elephants and giraffes for a Vacation Bible School week!
They love absolutely everything about our conferences. Mass. Adoration. The people, watching them, getting to know them, seeing old friends and making new and getting to pray together as a community.
One of their favorite memories was the time they got to watch Matt Maher perform from the 7th row, and Joyce sang his songs at the top of her lungs and appreciated how no one cared how bad she sounded. Joyce also loves to dance during praise and worship, while Mark just sits back and shakes his head at her while this happens. They both love getting to meet so many amazing priests as they do their volunteer work as Priest Ubers.
Their best advice to the teens to keep their faith alive throughout the year:
“Pray often, thank God, praise God, ask God and thank Him again. And remember: As Jesus says, ‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do you light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket. It is set on a lamp stand where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify the heavenly Father.'”
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